In the days leading up to the first full moon festival, Nguyen Thi Lieu's small kitchen in the apartment building at 26 Nguyen Thuong Hien, Hanh Thong ward, was constantly busy. Trays of golden lotus-shaped mooncakes were continuously taken out of the oven, their aroma of butter blended with sweet and sour pineapple filling spreading throughout the kitchen.

Lieu said that last year she only made traditional cakes for individual orders, totaling a few dozen boxes, mainly for regular customers making offerings. This year, after trying the mini lotus mooncake line, orders increased significantly. On the very first day of sales, she received over 20 orders, and the number continued to rise.

Lotus mooncakes weighing 50 grams at a bakery in Hanh Thong ward, TP HCM. *Photo: Nguyen Lieu*

"Customers prefer the lotus because it symbolizes purity and is suitable for offerings," she said. "The cakes are compact, not overly sweet, and more affordable than mooncakes during the main season."

Each cake weighs about 50 grams. The shell is made from specialty flour, wheat flour, butter, baking sugar, corn sugar, and eggs. The pineapple filling is carefully simmered to maintain a mild sweet and sour flavor. According to Lieu, the most challenging aspect is controlling the heat so that the lotus petals bloom evenly without cracking the cake surface. Each batch takes about four hours to complete.

The cakes are sold for 99,000 dong for a box of six and 139,000 dong for a box of nine. This price point is about 20-30% lower than mooncakes sold during the 8th lunar month, yet the design remains attractive and suitable for small family altars.

Lieu is not alone; many bakeries in TP HCM are observing a similar trend. Hanh, owner of a bakery in Xuan Hoa ward, stated that last year her shop primarily sold lotus steamed buns and sticky rice for offerings, with total orders reaching about 250 boxes in the three days leading up to the full moon. This year, after shifting to mini lotus mooncakes, the number of orders increased to nearly 400 boxes, with revenue about 60% higher compared to the same period.

According to bakery owners, last year, consumers tended to be more frugal, prioritizing traditional, lower-priced products. This year, purchasing power has improved, and customers are willing to spend more on items that are aesthetically pleasing, convenient, and novel. The small size of the cakes is particularly appealing, as it helps smaller families avoid excess after making offerings.

In addition to mini lotus mooncakes, products like vegetarian offering platters, five-colored sticky rice, and lotus pedestals continue to see stable sales, with prices not fluctuating significantly compared to last year. Offering flowers and fruits also maintained similar price levels, ensuring that the overall cost of preparing the offering tray did not increase substantially.

The first full moon festival, also known as Tet Nguyen Tieu, is traditionally considered the "largest full moon of the year." While last year's offerings tended to be simple and economical, many families are now seeking products that combine spiritual significance with aesthetic appeal. Among these, mini lotus mooncakes are emerging as a new choice for altars on this important day.

Thi Ha